A magnitude 4.3 earthquake was reported Friday evening just before 8 p.m. Pacific time in Carson, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The quake produced shaking considered moderate on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale across wide swaths of Carson, Torrance, Wilmington, Gardena and Compton. Moderate shaking generally produces enough shaking to break dishes and windows and overturn unstable objects.
Light or weak shaking was felt through the Los Angeles Basin, Orange County and the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys.
The temblor occurred less than a mile from West Carson, one mile from Los Angeles, two miles from Torrance and two miles from Long Beach, where a low rumble was felt through the city.
Along Long Beach’s downtown Promenade, the jolt left overhead strands of lights swaying as crowds checked their phones for information.
“You all felt the earthquake, right?” one man asked as he exited his apartment complex. “I wasn’t sure if it was just the brownies kicking in.”
The shaking lasted roughly 15 seconds, enough time to remove any doubt as to the cause of the vibration.
In the past 10 days, there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby, and in the Los Angeles area, an average of five earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year.
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Times staff writer Luke Money contributed to this report.